The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-20
IN THE CONVICT CAMPS.
CAPT. SMITH GOES BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE.

Five Women the Hardest Citizens
Under His Charge-He Defends the
Present System and Declares 1t the
Best in ExiStence-Whi Boss
Smith Also a Witness.
ATLANTA, GA, July l9.-James M. Smith,
of Oglethorpe county, was before the peni-
tentiary investigating committee this after
noon. He said he purchased Thomas Alex
ander's interest in Camp No. 8 in 1880, when
it was sold by the Ordinary of Fulton coul-
ty at public sale. Capt. w. d. Grant made
the purchase with him. He bought 125 shares
of stock and has $50 convicts, although this
number is constantly changing. The other
stockholders in Camp No. 3 are Messrs.
Lowe, English, Brown and James. Tho
convict camp was established at his place
by order Of the Governor. He thinks of no
better system for convicts than the present.
one, which he believes more suitable than
any yet suggested. He asserted that con-
victS are less in competition with free labor
than they would be in any other way. He
hires free labor, but convict costs him a
little more than free laborer. He does
not believe the reformatory prison projecc
good one or practicable.
HARDENED FEMALES.
There are only five women in his camp,
but they are the worst convicts to deal
with and were convicted of heinous crimes;
one for murder, one for burglary, another
for killing a white woman for $40, one for
poisoning and another for arson. He said
there had been only one or two unfavorable
reports about his camp. His treatment Of
the convicts was generally complimented.
THE WHIPPING BOSS.
w. h. Smith, at one time whipping-bosA
at Old Town, who has been charged with
great cruelty to convicts, was examined. He
denied the truth of these reports and COM
mended in strong terms the treatment of
the convicts at Old Town. He contradcted
statements made by DIR. Houck at a former
meeting of the committee, and charges him
with abusing convicts and cruelty beating
them.
Prieipal Keeper Towers this morning
received the official papers pertaining to the
inquest held in Oglethorpe county over the
body of Armistead Camp, convict vino
died suddenly Saturday at the farm of ex%
Senator j. NJ. Smith. The verdict of tho
Coroner was that the man came to his death
from heart disease.
The Comptroller and Attorney General
decided several questions to-day which have
been pending before the former some weeks.
sAvANNAH's INSURANCE COMPANY.
The Savaf fnah Fire and Marine Insurance
Company, which reported that 100000 Of
the capital stock was invested in stocks,
bonds and real estate mortgages, as the law
requires, desired TO know if they would ba
required to make a statement of the invest
ment of the excess of capital stock beyond
100000 Ii was decided that the State had
nothing TO do with the excess.
In the annual returns of the Central rail
road $l69,000 in cash was reported on hand
May 1. The company claimed this as part
of its gross receipts from which the net in.
come was derived, upon which tax had
already been paid to the State, and that
therefore it was not liable for property tax.
The claim was sustained
The Life Insurance Company of Virginia
was to-day refused license to do business
in this State until it had fully complied with
the law